It is truly never too early to begin to examine rankings. MileStat took that addage to heart and is previewing what we found is the likely outcome for next year's Outdoor season. Previewed here is both the Boys and Girls Group 4A.

I.C. Norcom senior Romero Hines had a big weekend as he garnered three first place showings at the Gloucester Pre-Holiday Invite including a personal best leap of 45'2.50" in the triple jump and state leading performance of 35.79 in the 300 meter dash. Hines also had the best mark in the long jump at 21 feet even.

Isiah Gyasi (pictured left by John Herzog) joined the track team at I.C. Norcom late in high school as a junior, but one year later he was a state champion indoors in the 55 meter dash and outdoors in the 100 meter dash. Gyasi is often known as the spoiler for Sean Holston's attempts of the sprint triple at the state championships as he denied the national prep star wins in the short sprints at both the indoor and outdoor state championships in 2007.
Gyasi clocked personal bests of 6.36 in the 55 meter dash, 10.54 in the 200 meter dash, and 21.61 in the 200 meter dash. Gyasi also ran on a state champion 4x200 and 4x100 meter relay for Norcom. He ranks among the top 10 in the MileStat.com Era rankings for the 55, 60, and 100 meter dashes. Gyasi now runs at East Carolina University and is looking to rebound from a medical redshirt year. Read more for interview with Isiah Gyasi...

The Virginia Beach Flames Invitational this past weekend had some of the best high school performances in the summer track season so far this year with numerous noteworthy marks and times in the intermediate boys and girls as well as young men and women divisions. Booker T. Washington junior DeShana Briggs (pictured left by John Herzog), who has struggled in the past with her consistency in the high jump as well as performing well in state competition, seems to be correcting that now after being a non factor at the AAA State Indoor Meet despite clearing 5'8" two occassions before the season. Briggs cleared 5'8" in two early season outdoor meets and returned back to her season best height at the AAA State Championships to place third in the event. Much of the higher expectations which were placed on Briggs this year were due in large part to a clearance of 5'10" last summer at the AAU State Meet. Well she is back in top form again after this weekend with her second clearance ever at 5'10". With the likes of multiple state champion Ashley Gatling and Nike Outdoor Nationals champion April Sinkler graduating, the expectations will once again placed on Briggs to win a state championship after another 5'10" clearance to tie Gatling as a state leader for the year.

The Deep Creek boys were the lone Virginia relay to make into the Championships of America finals this past week at the Penn Relays as the Hornets won their qualifying heat on Saturday morning with a time of 3:18.08. In the COA finals of the 4x400 meter relay, Deep Creek finished sixth in 3:19.44 as the second US squad with Long Beach Poly of California winning in 3:09.89. Making up the Deep Creek 4x400 were Keonta Coleman, Dejor Simmons, Dewey Gatling, and Curtis Campbell. Lakeland junior Chris Copeland had the highest individual finish at Penn among any of the Virginia boys in the high jump as the Nike Indoor Nationals All-American and defending AAA state indoor champion matched his personal best height with a clearance of 6'8" to earn second place honors. Check out race videos from Penn Relays at flocasts.com